Book Spotlight (and a Giveaway!): The Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer

THE TAPESTRY OF GRACE by Kim Vogel Sawyer
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Fiction/Romance
PUBLISHER: WaterBrook
RELEASE DATE: April 18, 2023
PAGES: 310

When a group of Kansas women start a Frauenverein, a benevolent society devoted to aiding widows and orphans, life changes for more than just the hurting people they seek to help in this heartwarming romance inspired by historical events—from the bestselling author of Freedom’s Song.

With classes paused for the planting season, Alexandertol’s schoolteacher Augusta Dyck is glad for some meaningful work to occupy her time. She even knows exactly who their town’s benevolence society should help first: quiet, reserved widower Konrad Rempel and his young twin sons.

Konrad Rempel, however, is adamant that he doesn’t want help. His boys are mischievous but good-hearted. And though Konrad may be struggling, he doesn’t want anyone else sticking their nose in and telling him what his sons need. Or what he needs.

For her part, the charity’s founder Martina Krahn is relieved to have a reason to spend time outside her unhappy home. It even occurs to her that she may, through her work, encounter a boy in need of a family and so find a son for her husband since they have no children of their own.

Augusta, Konrad, and Martina each have deep needs and desires, and each imagines how they should be met: by reaching out or by being left alone. But God, indeed, knows best. Will the competing agendas of Alexandertol’s residents prevent them from receiving God’s help? Or will the members of this small Mennonite community find the answers to their prayers in the very last place they expect—in one another?

KONRAD

In his forty-one years of living, Konrad could only recall a dozen times he had not attended Sunday morning service. Over the years, various illnesses and, once, a bad snowstorm had kept him home. Then there was the weekend his dear Hannah died while bearing their stillborn daughter, and the weekend after, when deep grief from laying Hannah and Baby Girl—they hadn’t decided on a name and he couldn’t bring himself to choose without Hannah—to rest held him captive. He didn’t like counting those Sundays, but they were part of his life’s tapestry, too, and they’d shown him how much his community cared about him. How many visitors came after he missed those services? Not only the preacher, but several concerned neighbors, too.

When he didn’t appear at the church building this morning, would visitors come? The thought almost propelled him out the door. He shouldn’t alarm his friends and preacher. But the soft snores coming from the twins’ room—evidence that they were soundly sleeping—convinced him to stay home. That, and the remembrance of the schoolteacher’s stinging comment. “Something similar could happen again unless they have supervision.”

How many times would her warning play through his mind before he forgot it? He hmphed. He was fooling himself. He would never forget her words. Because they were true.

He scuffed to the little table where his Bible lay open to the book of James, the book he tended to read when he was uncertain what to do. He wasn’t a learned man. Only a simple man.

But God’s Word, his parents had taught him, provided whatever he needed, including wisdom. Sinking into his chair, he scanned the text. Verse 3 from chapter 1 seemed to leap out at him. He underlined the text with his finger and read aloud, “‘. . . und wisset, daß euer Glaube, wenn er rechtschaffen ist, Geduld wirkt.’” His scalp tingled in response to the statement that the trying of one’s faith worked patience.

He believed the words. He’d seen evidence that testing resulted in stronger faith. These few years after losing Hannah, leaning completely on the Lord for companionship, had drawn him more deeply into fellowship with his Father. Not that he hadn’t known God intimately before Hannah’s death. He had walked with the Lord for more than half of his life now after asking the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive his sins and become his Savior when he was a teen.

He’d never forget the sense of freedom and relief that followed his decision, nor his parents’ joy when he was baptized. He would also never forget the schoolteacher’s kind yet somber expression and heavyhearted tone when warning about his boys’ well-being. He wanted to believe that his sons would be fine. He wanted to fully trust that God watched over them and protected them from harm.

As always happened with such thoughts, his hand rose and rubbed his scars. His father had trusted that his sons would be fine . . . but sometimes accidents happened despite God’s watchful eyes on them.

Excerpted from The Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer. Copyright © 2023 by Kim Vogel Sawyer. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Used by permission.

affiliate links used

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a highly acclaimed, bestselling author with more than 1.5 million books in print in seven languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim and her retired military husband, Don, live in central Kansas, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and her grandchildren. Connect with Kim at her website.

Other Recently Featured Books by Kim Vogel Sawyer

WaterBrook is offering a print copy of The Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What about you? What makes you want to read The Tapestry of Grace by Kim Vogel Sawyer?